Esau in the Bible – The Twin Brother of Jacob By Jack Zavada "Instant gratification" is a modern term, but it applied to the Old Testament character Esau, whose shortsightedness led to disastrous consequences in his life. Esau, whose name means "hairy," was the twin brother of Jacob . Since Esau was born first, he was the elder son who inherited the all-important birthright , a Jewish law that made him the major heir in his father Isaac 's will. Once, when the red-haired Esau came home famished from hunting, he found his brother Jacob cooking stew. Esau asked Jacob for some, but Jacob demanded that Esau first sell him his birthright for the stew. Esau made a poor choice, not considering the consequences. He swore to Jacob and exchanged his precious birthright for a mere bowl of stew. Later, when Isaac's eyesight had failed, he sent his son Esau out to hunt for game for a meal, planning to give Esau his blessing later. Isaac's scheming wife Rebekah overheard and quickly prepared meat.

Then she put goatskins on her favorite son Jacob's arms and neck, so that when Isaac touched them, he would think it was his hairy son Esau. Jacob thus impersonated Esau, and Isaac blessed him by mistake. When Esau returned and found out what had happened, he became furious. He asked for another blessing, but it was too late. Isaac told his firstborn son he would have to serve Jacob, but would later "throw his yoke from off your neck." ( Genesis 27:40, NIV ) Because of his treachery, Jacob feared Esau would kill him. He fled to his uncle Laban in Paddan Aram. Again going his own way, Esau had married two Hittite women, angering his parents. To try to make amends, he married Mahalath, a cousin, but she was a daughter of Ishmael , the outcast. Twenty years later, Jacob had become a rich man. He went back home but was terrified of meeting Esau, who had become a powerful warrior with an army of 400 men. Jacob sent servants ahead with flocks of animals as gifts for Esau.

But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. (Genesis 33:4, NIV) Jacob returned to Canaan and Esau went to Mount Seir. Jacob, whom God renamed Israel, became father of the Jewish nation through his twelve sons . Esau, also named Edom, became father of the Edomites, an enemy of ancient Israel. The Bible does not mention Esau's death. A very confusing verse regarding Esau appears in Romans 9:13: Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (NIV) Understanding that the name Jacob stood for Israel and Esau stood for the Edomite people helps us decipher what is meant. If we substitute "chose" for "loved" and "did not choose" for "hated," the meaning becomes clearer: Israel God chose, but Edom God did not choose. God chose Abraham and the Jews, from whom the Savior Jesus Christ would come. The Edomites, founded by Esau who sold his birthright, were not the chosen line.

Esau's Accomplishments: Esau, a skilled archer, became rich and powerful, father of the Edomite people. Without doubt his greatest accomplishment was forgiving his brother Jacob after Jacob had cheated him out of his birthright and blessing. Esau's Strengths: Esau was strong-willed and a leader of men. He set out on his own and founded a mighty nation in Seir, as detailed in Genesis 36. Esau's Weaknesses: His impulsiveness often led Esau into making bad decisions. He thought only of his momentary need, giving little thought to the future. Life Lessons: Sin always has consequences, even if they are not immediately apparent. Esau rejected the spiritual in favor of his urgent physical needs. Following God is always the wisest choice. Hometown: Canaan. References to Esau in the Bible: Esau's story appears in Genesis 25-36. Other mentions include Malachi 1:2, 3; Romans 9:13; and Hebrews 12:16, 17.

Occupation: Key Verses: Genesis 25:23 The LORD said to her (Rebekah), “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” ( NIV ) Genesis 33:10 “No, please!” said Jacob (to Esau). “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably." ( NIV ) (Sources: gotquestions.org ; International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, general editor; Bible History: Old Testament, by Alfred Edersheim) New Testament People of the Bible (Index) Jack Zavada, a career writer and contributor for About.com, is host to a Christian website for singles. Never married, Jack feels that the hard-won lessons he has learned may help other Christian singles make sense of their lives. His articles and ebooks offer great hope and encouragement. To contact him or for more information, visit Jack's Bio Page . Who are the twins in the Bible? Who are the twins in the Bible?

Question: "Who are the twins in the Bible?" Answer: The Bible records three cases of twins. The known twins of the Bible include the following: Jacob and Esau : These two brothers are certainly the best-known set of twins in Scripture. Isaac, the son of Abraham, and his wife, Rebekah, are the first couple mentioned in the Bible to have twins. Genesis 25:22–26 says, “The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.’ When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.

After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.” These two brothers would continue in conflict, with Jacob stealing their father’s blessing and then running away to live with his uncle Laban. However, Jacob would indeed become the stronger of the two brothers, fathering twelve sons who would become the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel . Perez and Zerah: The account of twins Perez and Zerah can be found in Genesis 38. Jacob’s son Judah slept with a woman he thought was a prostitute, only to find out later it was his widowed daughter-in-law, Tamar. King David would later descend from the family line of Perez (Ruth 4:18). Matthew 1:3 notes Perez in the line of ancestors of Jesus Christ. Thomas Didymus: The Gospel of John notes that Thomas was called Didymus, a Greek word meaning “twin” (John 11:16). The name Thomas also means “twin” in Aramaic, a common language of Jesus’ time. This likely indicates that Thomas was one of two twin brothers.

The same title is given in John 20:24 and 21:2. However, Thomas’s twin brother is never specifically mentioned in Scripture. There is speculation that Thomas and Matthew were twins due to their names often being listed together in the Gospels. But this is just speculation. Cain and Abel: It is possible Cain and Abel were twins, but the Bible does not explicitly indicate this. It depends on how much later Abel was born: “Eve became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. . . . Later she gave birth to his brother Abel” (Genesis 4:1-2). Was it minutes later or more than nine months later? The Bible does not say. Finally, Acts 28:11 notes that, on their voyage to Rome, Paul, Luke, and others were boarded on “an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.” Today, these twin gods of ancient myth are often called the Gemini. All the Twins in the Bible All the Twins in the Bible October 15, 2012 Finding out we were going to have twins was, perhaps, the biggest shock of our lives. They have been a double blessing to our lives.

There are many famous sets of twins in history, and this includes Biblical history. 1. Jacob and Esau – Jacob and Esau, sons of Isaac and Rebecca, are the first twins mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 25:19-28). The story of Jacob is told in Genesis 25:19-37:36 and 42:1-50:3. The story of Esau is found in Genesis 25:19-28:9, 32:1 -33:20, and 35:27-36:43. From Jacob the twelve tribes of Israel descended. Esau became the father of the Edomites (Genesis 36:19,43; Obadiah 1:6; Malachi 1:2-3). 2. Perez and Zerah – Judah’s daughter-in-law, Tamar, was widowed and did not want to be childless. Wrapping her face in a veil and disguising herself as a prostitute, she intercepts Judah on the road and he sleeps with her.

The result of their union was Perez and Zerah (Genesis 38:12-30). From Perez would come the family of David (Ruth 4:18-22). 3. Ephraim and Manasseh –The Bible does not directly state that the two sons of Joseph and Asenath were twins, but there is good reason to believe they were. First, Genesis mentions they were both born “before the year of famine came” (Genesis 41:50). Second, two conceptions are not mentioned in the text. Third, if they are twins they fit nicely into the pattern seen in the lives of Isaac and Judah: both their younger twins inherited the birthright, just as the younger Ephraim was blessed first by Jacob (Genesis 48:19). Jacob promised that both Ephraim and Manasseh would become patriarchs of a multitude, which began a traditional blessing said in Israel: “God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh” (Genesis 48:20). 4.

Thomas and his unnamed sibling – Thomas was one of the twelves apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). His name means “twin.” His surname was Didymus (John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2), meaning “double,” or “twofold.” Thomas is perhaps best known as “Doubting Thomas” because of the resurrection story in John 20:24-29, but other stories in the Gospel of John reveal Thomas to be a man of great devotion of to Christ (John 11:16; 14:5). 5. Castor and Pollux – This probably shouldn’t make the list, but I’ll include it to be thorough. In Acts 28:11 we read that Paul sailed aboard an Alexandrian ship with the figureheads of Castor and Pollux on it. In Greek mythology these were the twin sons of Zeus and Leda, and were the patron deities of sailors. 6. Were Cain and Abel Twins? – Some Bible scholars believe Cain and Abel were twins.

Genesis 4:1-2a states, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel.” The word “again” is the Hebrew term yacaph can also mean “add” or “increase,” giving the impression that Abel was born directly after Cain. This is a possibility, but because the text moves very quickly through time (in the very next statement Cain and Abel have grown up and engaging in their respective occupations), one can’t be dogmatic about it. There is no early Jewish or Christian tradition supporting this claim. Rebekah's Twin Boys REBEKAH’S TWIN BOYS THERE have always been twins and triplets in the world, and sometimes there have been quadruplets and quintuplets. Once there were very important twin boys, the children of Isaac and Rebekah. They had been married for twenty years before these boys were born. Like their father, Isaac, and their grandfather Abraham, these boys were very important in the sight of God, because he had promised such wonderful things concerning Abraham’s family.

One thing about these twin boys which was different from many twins was that they didn’t look alike. Their names were Jacob and Esau. The Bible tells us that Esau’s body was covered with red hair. Wasn’t that odd? But this was what made him look so different from Jacob, who didn’t have hair on his body. Oh, I suppose he had some on his head, but not much on his body. When Esau grew to manhood he spent a great deal of his time hunting, and the Bible tells us that he was a very good bunter. His red hair, however, had nothing to do with this. Jacob lived a quieter life, dwelling in tents. Probably he was a farmer, and also raised sheep and cattle. The Bible says that Isaac loved Esau very much. When Esau went hunting he always brought home a nice meal of meat. But the Bible says that Rebekah, the mother of the boys, loved Jacob more than Esau. Now God had revealed to Rebekah, the mother of the twins, that Jacob was to be the one whom he would especially bless. Perhaps that is the reason she loved Jacob more than Esau.

As we read the Bible story of the two boys, we learn that Jacob was the one most loved by God because he believed that God’s promises would come true! The wonderful promise that God had made to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, and to his father, Isaac, was very dear to Jacob, and he wanted to do everything he could so that that promise would belong to him. In the Bible this promise is called the “birthright.” Esau thought the birthright belonged to him because he was born first and therefore the older of the two. But God had explained to their mother that he wanted Jacob to be the real heir of the promise. No doubt Jacob’s mother had told him all about this, and what God had said to her, so he was watching for an opportunity to secure the birthright as God desired. One day when Esau had been hunting he came home very hungry. Jacob had stayed at home and had cooked a delicious meal of what the Bible calls “pottage.” Probably it was very much like bean soup which, as I am sure you know, is very appetizing when it is properly made.

So when Esau came in from hunting, and asked Jacob for a meal of his tasty pottage, Jacob told Esau he could have it if he would let him have the promised birthright. To Esau this seemed like a very good bargain indeed, because he didn’t have as much faith as Jacob had in God’s promises. When Esau was hungry a very good meal was much more important to him than any promises God had made. So he agreed to sell the birthright to Jacob in order to have something good to eat! As we will see, Esau made a great mistake in doing this. And that is true now, too, boys and girls. Whatever God has promised to us is much more important than getting something to eat when we are hungry, or satisfying any other craving that we may have. Of course Esau was sorry later for what he had done; but having sold his birthright for the meal of pottage, it was too late to do anything about it. It now belonged to Jacob, not only because God wanted him to have it, but also because he had bought it from Esau. And Jacob appreciated it, because he believed the promises of God.

Years after this, when the boys’ father was very old and did not expect to live much longer, he wanted to give his blessing to the boy to whom the birthright belonged. Fathers don’t do things like that today, but they did when Abraham and Isaac and Jacob lived. It was then the custom, when a father became very old, to call his family together and give them his good wishes and remind them of the promises God had made to him and to his children. They called it “giving a blessing,” and when a blessing was given to a child by his father it could not be changed. Their father did not know that Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob, so he asked Esau to go out into the fields and bring him some meat for supper. He told Esau that he wished to bestow his blessing upon him before he died. Rebekah, the twins’ mother, heard Isaac telling this to Esau, and she knew that the blessing Isaac was planning to give to Esau really belonged to Jacob. Esau, you see, was not quite fair, was he? He had sold the birthright to Jacob, and now, without explaining to his father, he was anxious to get it back for himself.

But Rebekah, who loved God, knew that God wanted Jacob to have that birthright, so she arranged with Jacob to obtain the blessing from his father before Esau returned from hunting. She told Jacob to kill a young goat and she would prepare it for him to take to his father. Isaac was now very old and blind, and so he wasn’t able to see whether it was Esau or Jacob who brought him his supper. Besides, Jacob’s mother fastened some hair of a young goat on the back of his hands. This made Jacob’s hands feel just like Esau’s, and Isaac was sure that it really was Esau, so he gave him the blessing. In this way Jacob received the birthright from his father which he had bought from Esau. From this day on, all the promises that God had made to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, and to his father, Isaac, belonged to him! Now he was to be the one whom God would use in his wonderful plan to make his promises come true! QUESTIONS Who were the first twin boys mentioned in the Bible, and did they look like each other? What is a birthright, and why did Esau sell his birthright to Jacob?

Why did Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, want him to receive the blessing of the birthright rather than Esau? Dawn Bible Students Association JACOB: steals from Esau, meets an Angel, Dinah raped, sale of Joseph Bible study ideas for moreJacob - lies, lies, lies Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebecca, twin brother of Esau, husband of the sisters Rachel and Leah, and father of the twelve sons who became the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel Rachel, his beloved wife, mother of Joseph and Benjamin; she died giving birth to Benjamin Leah her older sister, also married to Jacob. The unloved wife who bore her husband six sons and a daughter. Joseph, favored son of Jacob Labin, father of Rachel and Leah The birth of Esau and Jacob Rebecca, wife of Isaac, bore twin sons, Esau and Jacob. When they were born they seemed to be scrambling for first place: Esau came first, but Jacob came out holding onto Esau's tiny heel. They were in competition from the start. But they were quite different in personality. Jacob was a thinker, a man who preferred to stay close to home. Esau was a man's man, a hunter and farmer.

As the old saying goes, one was an 'arty', the other was a 'hearty'. Theft of the Birthright and Blessing Jacob hated being second in line. He always wanted the birthright - the eldest son was entitled to twice the inheritance that any of his brothers got when their father died. One day when Esau came in from the fields, famished with hunger and exhausted, Jacob refused to give him the food he was cooking unless Esau renounced the birthright of the eldest son and gave it to him. Esau probably didn't take him too seriously, and when Jacob insisted he gave in, to get his hands on the food. He swore an oath that Jacob would have the birthright of the eldest son. Their father Isaac loved Esau better than Jacob, but Jacob was his mother's favorite. She decided that he, not Esau, would be a better leader of the tribe, and she primed Jacob on how to steal the Blessing from Esau - the Blessing of the tribal leader had ritual and legal significance, naming the next leader of the tribe. Rebecca waited until Isaac's eyesight was failing badly, then she disguised Jacob so that Isaac mistook him for Esau.

Jacob was a willing partner to the trickery, disguising his voice, skin and clothing so that Isaac would think he was speaking to Esau. The old man then gave the Blessing not to the son he favored, but to Jacob. Read the Bible Text Jacob's dream Knowing that Esau would be enraged by what he had done, Jacob fled. He took his mother's advice and set off for Padan-Aram, where her family still lived. On the journey he stopped one night and lay down to sleep, laying his head on a flat stone. While he was asleep he had a strange dream that affected him deeply. He dreamed he saw a ladder reaching from the earth up to heaven, and angels were going up and down the ladder. Then God stood beside him and spoke, telling Jacob that this land should be his, and that he would have innumerable descendants. Then Jacob woke up, and was afraid. God was in this place, and Jacob had somehow stumbled on a place that joined heaven and earth. Next morning he took the stone he had used as a pillow and set it up as an altar, pouring oil on it to sanctify it. He called the place Bethel.

Marriage with two sisters Then he set out again on his journey to his mother's family. He came to a well where some shepherds were watering their flocks. A young girl wanted to draw water from the well, and Jacob learnt from the shepherds she was Rachel, a cousin of his, daughter of his mother's brother Laban. He was smitten. He rolled the stone away from the lid of the well for her and she took him to meet his relatives. Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob wanted to marry Rachel, and said so. But he had no bride price, and Laban demanded that Jacob work for him for seven years to pay the bride price for Rachel. This Jacob did, and at the end of the seven years he prepared to marry Rachel. But Laban tricked him into marrying Lead instead - the face of the bride was hidden during the wedding, and once they'd had sexual intercourse in the darkness of the wedding night, there was no going back. Of course when Jacob found out he'd been tricked he was white-hot with anger. He had tricked his father Isaac but now had been tricked in turn by his uncle.

He demanded to be given Rachel, and was so threatening that Laban agreed - on condition that Jacob work another seven years for her. This he did - but the anger inside him rankled, and he planned a way to get even. Read the Bible Text This paintings by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel is labelled 'Jacob, Joseph'. On the left side sits Jacob - and the face given him by Michelangelo suits the deceitful man in Genesis very well. Beside him is a rather sickly Rachel (she dies at the birth of her second son) with her first son Joseph. On the right side is Leah 'of the beautiful eyes', blessed with many sons and a daughter Dinah (far right), whose life will be ruined when she is raped by a man who professes to love her. Be wary of information on art websites that tells you the 'Joseph' referred to in this painting is Joseph, husband of Mary of Nazareth, and that the female figure on the right is Mary of Nazareth. Comments like this are made by art historians who do not seem to have read the Old Testament stories on which Michelangelo based his Lunettes.

Escape from Laban Jacob now had four wives - two full wives in Leah and Rachel, and their two maids Zilpah and Bilhah. He loved Rachel, but she did not seem able to conceive. Leah on the other hand was fertile. She had six sons and a daughter, Dinah, in rapid succession. Zilpah had two sons, as did Bilhah. Finally Rachel had a son whom she called Joseph. Meanwhile, Jacob and Laban had worked uneasily together. Neither trusted the other, with good reason. When the full bride price had been paid, Jacob asked Laban if he could leave and return to his native country. Laban prevaricated, but they came to an arrangement. Laban's flocks would consist of all the animals who were white. Jacob could have all the animals who were spotted or dark - these were not as valuable as the white animals. Laban thought he had made a bargain, but Jacob took steps to stop the white animals breeding, and put the strong male animals with the spotted or black females, so that he bred a stronger and more numerous flock. He had outwitted Laban.

Figurines from Ur, southern Mesopotamia, 5,000-4,000BC One day, without any farewell, Jacob gathered up his wives, children and flocks, and left. Rachel, who had never forgiven her father for tricking Jacob into marrying Leah, stole the household gods - small statuettes that represented the spirit of her family, similar to the lares and penetes of the Romans. This might seem a petty action, but these statuettes guaranteed legal title to all Jacob had taken from Laban. Jacob did not know she had done this. When he found out three days later, Laban pursued them - to get back his flocks and the statuettes. When they met each one accused the other of cheating - and each one was right. But they agreed to a truce, with each one staying on his own side of an agreed landmark. Laban looked for the statuettes, know they must be in Jacob's camp, but Rachel hid them in a saddlebag then sat on them. She had her menstrual periods, she told her father - and by tribal law this meant he would be unclean if he touched the place where she had been sitting.

He could not search the saddlebags, and so she had her revenge on her father. Read the Bible Text Wrestling with the Angel Jacob moved on. As he approached his home territory, he knew there would be a confrontation with Esau, his wronged brother. He heard that Esau had set out looking for him, and was afraid. Cautiously he sent flocks of animals as a sweetener to appease Esau, then waited to see what would happen. He also sent his wives and children away, so that they would be safe. Jacob Wrestling with an Angel, Gauguin That night, standing alone by the River Jabbok, a solitary man approached Jacob and began to wrestle with him. They wrestled and fought all night, but neither could get the upper hand. Then the stranger struck Jacob in the hollow of his thigh, and Jacob's hip was dislocated. But Jacob held on. The stranger told him to let go, but Jacob demanded a blessing before he would do so. 'What is your name?' asked the stranger. 'Jacob'. 'Now it is no longer Jacob, but Israel', said the stranger. Jacob knew that he had seen God face to face - and lived.

But Esau was still coming, and Jacob had to deal with that. He prepared for the worst, but to his amazement Esau ran to meet him, embracing him and welcoming him. He held no grudges - in fact, throughout the story he is consistently more likable than Jacob. They wept together, and were reunited as brothers, Esau having forgiven his brother completely. Read the Bible Text The rape of Dinah Jacob continued on to the city of Shechem, where he bought land. His family began the process of settling there, and the women began to visit the local women and make friends with them. On one of these visits Jacob's daughter Dinah was molested by the son of the local ruler, Shechem son of Hamor. Molested is too gentle a word. The young girl was raped. Strangely, Shechem seems to have fallen deeply in love with her at the time - the Bible says 'his soul was drawn to her'. He persuaded his father Hamor to ask for her hand in marriage. Nowhere in this story is Dinah's reaction described. Jacob knew what had happened, but his sons did not - they were away in the fields at the time.

When they heard about it they were very angry, but Hamor met with them and told them his sons wanted to marry Dinah, and that this could be the beginning of friendship between the inhabitants of the city and the new settlers. There could be intermarriage, trade and friendship between the groups. But Jacob's sons held onto their anger, and made a condition: that Shechem could only be accepted by them if he was circumcised. Not only Shechem, but every male among Shechem's people. Probably to their surprise, Shechem was more than willing to fall in with their request. There is something rather plaintive in his desire to please Dinah's brothers. He seems truly to have loved Dinah. He persuaded all the men of the city to accept the newcomers as equals, and to be circumcised. He himself led the way. But a few days later, when all the men of the city had been newly circumcised and were in pain with the wound, the sons of Jacob attacked them and the city, killing and looting, stealing the wives and children of the city and taking all the loot they could.

They killed Hamor and Shechem and took Dinah out of Shechem's house where she had gone to live. Jacob was aghast. He himself has been a trickster, but not a murderer. Now the tribe was in real trouble, with a whole new set of enemies. His sons' grisly acts had destroyed the harmony that might have been. Hastily Jacob pulled up roots and fled, taking his family and all they could carry to Bethel where they would be safe. Read the Bible Text The sale of Joseph After they had been in Bethal awhile they set out again, but Rachel was heavily pregnant, and not strong. She had a difficult labor, gave birth to a son called Benjamin, then died. Jacob had lost the woman he loved more than any other. Joseph's Coat Brought to Jacob, Giovanni Andrea de Ferrari Her son lived on - Joseph, and Jacob loved him more than any of his other sons. He favored Joseph in many ways - there is a hint of this in the mention of the long-sleeved coat Jacob gave to Joseph.

Heavy work cannot be done in a long-sleeved coat, so the fact that Joseph gave him this article of clothing meant that Joseph was not expected to do any of the heavy, tedious work of a tribesman or farmer. Unfortunately Joseph's sons were well aware of this, and grew jealous of Joseph. One day when they were well away from Jacob and the rest of the tribe, Joseph's brothers saw a chance to kill him - to get rid of him permanently. Only one of them spoke out against the plan - Reuben, the eldest son of Leah. He suggested that instead of killing him they imprison Joseph in one of the empty water cisterns - he meant to come back later and free his brother. Eventually they ended up selling Joseph as a slave to a passing trader. Jacob was heartbroken when they went back and told their father that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Joseph, Overseer of Pharaoh's Graneries, Alma Tadema Only many years later did he find out the truth, when he and his sons went to Egypt and met Joseph, not dead at all but doing very well indeed for himself. Jacob died happy, knowing that his son Joseph was successful and respected.

His final request was that Joseph return him to his homeland, to be buried with his ancestors, and Joseph honored this final request. The Baldwin Project: The Nursery book of Bible Stories by Amy Steedman THE TWO BROTHERS, JACOB AND ESAU IT had indeed been a shining road of happiness which Rebekah had trod since she had left her far distant home to become the wife of Isaac, and perhaps the greatest happiness of all had come when her twin babies were born, and they told her that God had sent her two little sons. Now, although the babies were twins they were not in the least alike, and the older they grew the more different they became. Esau, the elder, was a big strong boy, fond of working in the open air, a keen [20] hunter, loving all kinds of out-of-door sports. He was rough-looking, too, beside his smooth-faced, gentle brother Jacob, who was a thoughtful, quiet boy, quite content to do indoor work, and caring very little for rough games or the excitement of hunting. It was Jacob who was his mother's favourite. She had always loved him best.

It displeased her to think that Esau with his rough ways and rough looks was to be lord of all, was to have his father's blessing as well as the birthright, and that Jacob, her quiet, beautiful boy, should have nothing. There was always an echo in her heart of God's words, "the elder shall serve the younger." But if his mother loved Jacob best, it was on Esau that all his father's hopes and love were fixed. Isaac delighted in the wild adventures and strength of his hunter son. He loved the strong hairy hands which were so skilful in the use of weapons, and the rough looks of his son only filled him with pride. When Esau entered he brought with him the wild fragrance of the woods and hills which clung even to his clothes, and it rejoiced his father's heart. In many ways it was Jacob who was the cleverer of the two boys; but it was this very cleverness which sometimes led him into crooked ways and taught him to take a mean advantage of his brother.

So one day, when Esau had been out hunting and came home hungry and faint, Jacob offered him food, a dish of red pottage cooked and ready, if for it he would give up his birthright. Esau was too hungry and too careless to think what that meant. He did not indeed deserve the birthright if he was willing to give it away so easily. But he only thought how hungry he was, and that he might die if he did not have food, and so Jacob's crooked plan was successful. Now, although Jacob had managed to get the birthright, there was something else he wanted, something which his mother, too, thought of day and night. Whichever of the two sons received their father's bless ing he it was who would be master of all, who would inherit all the good things, and carry on the family name. It was of this blessing that Jacob and his mother thought continually, and at last the time came when it must be decided once for all. Isaac had grown very old and knew he had not much longer to live, and he called Esau, his beloved elder son, and told him to go out hunting and to prepare some venison for him, the special dish which he loved.

"Make me savoury meat, such as I love," he said, "that my soul may bless thee before I die." [21] Rebekah, listening at the tent door, knew what that meant. She watched Esau set out to do his father's bidding, and then she called quickly to Jacob. There was not a moment to be lost. He must go at once to the flock that was feeding in the field close by, and bring her two kids. She would make of them the savoury meat, and he would then take the dish to his father and pretend that he was Esau. The poor old father was almost blind now; he would not be able to tell the difference. But Jacob hesitated. He did not think it was a safe plan. Suppose that his father should touch him and feel his smooth skin. Why, he would know at once that it was not Esau. "Go and do as I tell thee," said his mother. He might leave it all to her; she had planned everything.

And after cooking the food, she took the hairy skins of the kids and put them on Jacob's hands and on his neck; and she dressed him, too, in some of his brother's clothes. Then she sent him in quickly to his father, with the smoking dish of savoury meat in his hands. The blind old father could not see who it was, he could only stretch out groping hands to feel if this was really his son Esau. Somehow he had an uneasy idea that the voice did not sound like Esau's voice. "Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son," he said, "whether thou be my very son Esau or not." Those groping hands felt carefully over Jacob's hairy neck and hands. Yes, it must be Esau, but he would make quite sure. "Art thou my very son Esau? "he asked. And Jacob answered, "I am." The food was eaten, and again Isaac called his son to come near to him, and as Jacob bent down to kiss him the old man smelt the sweet earthy fragrance of Esau's borrowed clothes. That smell was a delight to him, and he blessed his son with a wonderful blessing.

"See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed," he began, "therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth." "SO HE BLESSED HIM." Jacob was to be lord of all. The blessing was his now, and no one could take it away. He had only been just in time; the blessing was scarcely ended, and he had only just left the tent, when Esau came hurrying in. Then the trick was discovered. "Thy brother hath come with subtilty and taken away thy bless- [22] ing," said Isaac, trembling with grief. And when he heard that, there burst from Esau an exceeding bitter cry. Surely that cry must have hurt his mother's heart, surely Jacob must have hated his own mean ways when he heard that terrible cry of grief. Already his crooked ways were bringing their punishment. He dared not stay any longer in his home, but must flee away into a distant land, to his mother's people, where he would be safe from Esau's anger.

Alone in the desert, with only a stone for his pillow, he dreamed that God's angels came down the golden stairs of heaven to bring him a message of comfort; but there was little comfort for one who was banished from home, and who knew that he deserved his punishment. He repented sorely now, and God forgave him and allowed him to enjoy the blessing; but all his life he suffered for his deceit, and paid in sorrow for the evil he had done. JACOB'S DREAM Jacob | Define Jacob at Dictionary.com Share Jacob [jey-kuh b for 1, 3; French zha-kawb for 2] /ˈdʒeɪ kəb for 1, 3; French ʒaˈkɔb for 2/ Spell noun 1. the second son of Isaac, the twin brother of Esau, and father of the 12 patriarchs. Gen. 25:24–34. 2. François [frahn-swa] /frɑ̃ˈswa/ (Show IPA), 1920–2013, French geneticist: Nobel Prize in Medicine 1965. 3.

a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “supplanter.”. Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for Jacob Expand Frank's Campaign Horatio Alger, Jr. British Dictionary definitions for Jacob Expand noun 1. (Old Testament) the son of Isaac, twin brother of Esau, and father of the twelve patriarchs of Israel 2. Also called Jacob sheep. any of an ancient breed of sheep having a fleece with dark brown patches and two or four horns Word Origin sense 2 in allusion to Genesis 30:40 Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for Jacob Expand masc.

proper name, name of Old Testament patriarch, son of Isaac and Rebecca and father of the founders of the twelve tribes, from Late Latin Iacobus, from Greek Iakobos, from Hebrew Ya'aqobh, literally "one that takes by the heel" (Gen. xxviii:12), a derivative of 'aqebh "heel." The most popular name for boys born in the U.S. from 1999 through 2008. Jacob's ladder, in various transferred uses from 1733, is from Gen. xxviii:12. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper Expand Jacob Ja·cob (zhä-kôb'), François. Born 1920. French geneticist. He shared a 1965 Nobel Prize for the study of regulatory activity in body cells. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Jacob (zhä-kôb') French geneticist who studied how genes control cellular activity by directing the synthesis of proteins. With Jacques Monod, he theorized that there are genes that regulate the activity of other, neighboring genes. They also proposed the existence of messenger RNA. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved. Jacob in the Bible Expand one who follows on another's heels; supplanter, (Gen. 25:26; 27:36; Hos. 12:2-4), the second born of the twin sons of Isaac by Rebekah. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father was fifty-nine and Abraham one hundred and fifty-nine years old. Like his father, he was of a quiet and gentle disposition, and when he grew up followed the life of a shepherd, while his brother Esau became an enterprising hunter. His dealing with Esau, however, showed much mean selfishness and cunning (Gen. 25:29-34). When Isaac was about 160 years of age, Jacob and his mother conspired to deceive the aged patriarch (Gen.

27), with the view of procuring the transfer of the birthright to himself. The birthright secured to him who possessed it (1) superior rank in his family (Gen. 49:3); (2) a double portion of the paternal inheritance (Deut. 21:17); (3) the priestly office in the family (Num. 8:17-19); and (4) the promise of the Seed in which all nations of the earth were to be blessed (Gen. 22:18). Soon after his acquisition of his father's blessing (Gen. 27), Jacob became conscious of his guilt; and afraid of the anger of Esau, at the suggestion of Rebekah Isaac sent him away to Haran, 400 miles or more, to find a wife among his cousins, the family of Laban, the Syrian (28). There he met with Rachel (29).

Laban would not consent to give him his daughter in marriage till he had served seven years; but to Jacob these years "seemed but a few days, for the love he had to her." But when the seven years were expired, Laban craftily deceived Jacob, and gave him his daughter Leah. Other seven years of service had to be completed probably before he obtained the beloved Rachel. But "life-long sorrow, disgrace, and trials, in the retributive providence of God, followed as a consequence of this double union." At the close of the fourteen years of service, Jacob desired to return to his parents, but at the entreaty of Laban he tarried yet six years with him, tending his flocks (31:41). He then set out with his family and property "to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan" (Gen. 31). Laban was angry when he heard that Jacob had set out on his journey, and pursued after him, overtaking him in seven days. The meeting was of a painful kind.

After much recrimination and reproach directed against Jacob, Laban is at length pacified, and taking an affectionate farewell of his daughters, returns to his home in Padanaram. And now all connection of the Israelites with Mesopotamia is at an end. Soon after parting with Laban he is met by a company of angels, as if to greet him on his return and welcome him back to the Land of Promise (32:1, 2). He called the name of the place Mahanaim, i.e., "the double camp," probably his own camp and that of the angels. The vision of angels was the counterpart of that he had formerly seen at Bethel, when, twenty years before, the weary, solitary traveller, on his way to Padan-aram, saw the angels of God ascending and descending on the ladder whose top reached to heaven (28:12). He now hears with dismay of the approach of his brother Esau with a band of 400 men to meet him. In great agony of mind he prepares for the worst.

He feels that he must now depend only on God, and he betakes himself to him in earnest prayer, and sends on before him a munificent present to Esau, "a present to my lord Esau from thy servant Jacob." Jacob's family were then transported across the Jabbok; but he himself remained behind, spending the night in communion with God. While thus engaged, there appeared one in the form of a man who wrestled with him. In this mysterious contest Jacob prevailed, and as a memorial of it his name was changed to Israel (wrestler with God); and the place where this occured he called Peniel, "for", said he, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (32:25-31). After this anxious night, Jacob went on his way, halting, mysteriously weakened by the conflict, but strong in the assurance of the divine favour. Esau came forth and met him; but his spirit of revenge was appeased, and the brothers met as friends, and during the remainder of their lives they maintained friendly relations.

After a brief sojourn at Succoth, Jacob moved forward and pitched his tent near Shechem (q.v.), 33:18; but at length, under divine directions, he moved to Bethel, where he made an altar unto God (35:6,7), and where God appeared to him and renewed the Abrahamic covenant. While journeying from Bethel to Ephrath (the Canaanitish name of Bethlehem), Rachel died in giving birth to her second son Benjamin (35:16-20), fifteen or sixteen years after the birth of Joseph. He then reached the old family residence at Mamre, to wait on the dying bed of his father Isaac. The complete reconciliation between Esau and Jacob was shown by their uniting in the burial of the patriarch (35:27-29). Jacob was soon after this deeply grieved by the loss of his beloved son Joseph through the jealousy of his brothers (37:33).

Then follows the story of the famine, and the successive goings down into Egypt to buy corn (42), which led to the discovery of the long-lost Joseph, and the patriarch's going down with all his household, numbering about seventy souls (Ex. 1:5; Deut. 10:22; Acts 7:14), to sojourn in the land of Goshen. Here Jacob, "after being strangely tossed about on a very rough ocean, found at last a tranquil harbour, where all the best affections of his nature were gently exercised and largely unfolded" (Gen. 48). At length the end of his checkered course draws nigh, and he summons his sons to his bedside that he may bless them. Among his last words he repeats the story of Rachel's death, although forty years had passed away since that event took place, as tenderly as if it had happened only yesterday; and when "he had made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost" (49:33).

His body was embalmed and carried with great pomp into the land of Canaan, and buried beside his wife Leah in the cave of Machpelah, according to his dying charge. There, probably, his embalmed body remains to this day (50:1-13). (See HEBRON .) The history of Jacob is referred to by the prophets Hosea (12:3, 4, 12) and Malachi (1:2). In Micah 1:5 the name is a poetic synonym for Israel, the kingdom of the ten tribes. There are, besides the mention of his name along with those of the other patriarchs, distinct references to events of his life in Paul's epistles (Rom. 9:11-13; Heb. 12:16; 11:21).

See references to his vision at Bethel and his possession of land at Shechem in John 1:51; 4:5, 12; also to the famine which was the occasion of his going down into Egypt in Acts 7:12 (See LUZ ØT0002335; BETHEL .) Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

Question: Who, in the Bible, was the twin brother of Jacob?
Answer: Esau